Kenya

Where dreams come true...

Kenya

Where dreams come true...

Where is it located?

Kenya is located in Eastern Africa. It borders South Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia, Uganda and Tanzania. and its coast faces the Pacific Ocean. It usually has a tropical climate but there are many factors that may change this for example: Altitude, seasons and winds coming from the pacific. Temperatures usually lie between 20° and 28° degrees celsius during the dry season and during the wet season, they can reach 30° celsius but can also drop to 24° degrees celsius.

Its attractions...

Kenya is home to a very large number of tourist attractions but the most popular ones are the Maasai Mara National reserve, Malindi, Nairobi, Mombasa and Hell's Gate National Park.

Tourism numbers

Over the last 20 years, tourism in Kenya has increased massively thanks to low-cost flights, budget trips and many more features. In 2010, it was measured that 1 469 000 people travelled to Kenya whilst in the 90's there were only 814 000 people.

Benefits and downsides of tourism in Kenya.

Disadvantages.

Tourists may not be respectful towards the environment and can damage crucial ecosystems which may be the main source of tourism. An example would be tourists hunting in Kenya and killing animals which are in the path of extinction, animals which keep the food chains balanced and animals that are main attraction. Tourists may very well damage land and local plants by polluting or travelling on prohibited routes.

Most LEDC's have foreign companies that take care of the local tourism and therefore, the government doesn't earn that much. The workers also come from outside the country because they are more specialized in certain domains so locals have less available jobs or really low income jobs.

-Structures for tourists are usually prioritised over a local project.

There is a lot of Inequaliy between tourists and locals because the government would prioritise them as they bring fame to the country, wealth and a great reputation.

Advantages

Banks and shops can take advantage in the currency exchange and earn a little more.

If there are a lot of tourists, the country might invest in centers that teach locals how to do certain things so they can work in resorts etc...

Building of infrastructures in the area brings jobs to the local people.

Tourists get to learn about new cultures and their way of living. There also a high chance that they begin to respect the local environment like the locals do.

Poaching

Unfortunately, Kenya is already suffering from both of these disasters which humans or responsible for. Poaching is the cause of the extinction of many animals, including the recent disappearance of the amazing Black Rhinoceros. Animals which are native to Kenya such as the Rhinoceros, Elephant, Lion, Zebra, Giraffe and Warthogs get hunted daily for their Ivory tusks, fur, skin, horns and fangs. If this continues, many animals will become extinct and the numbers of tourists will decrease immediately as the wildlife is the main source of tourism in Kenya.

Solutions

To stop Poaching in Kenya, the government should fine poachers and unauthorised hunters for a lot of money. The country should also increase the security in national parks and in places where these endangered animals roam harmlessly. This could have a negative impact in tourism as many people come to Kenya to hunt these majestic animals as they're mostly found there. To solve this, the government can create parks where hunters go to hunt injured, disabled or weak individuals but in the same conditions as they would hunt animals in the wild.

Deforestation

Even though Kenya is a really arid country, their are many forests, especially in the centre and south-west. In 2009, 400 000 hectares of land were cut down in the Mau Forest and a very elevated number of villagers were evacuated away from their homes so wood companies could take down the trees. Forest are home to a huge variety of animals and if these get destroyed, not only the animals living in the forests will die but also other animals as the Ecosystem becomes unbalanced.

Solutions

Deforestation has been going on for decades and every attempt to stop it failed miserably. The government should now impose huge punishments for anyone cutting down tress as the forests in our planet are slowly disappearing. They can catch these people by placing security cameras or even soldiers to guard hot zones where there are many trees.

Terrorism

Terrorism is already affecting Kenya in all sorts of negative ways and the last attack on the university campus was a really low-kick for the tourism. Tourists are now scared to go in such countries, but there are still a few travellers that would risk their lives. Due to several terrorist attacks in public areas, tourist are beginning to travel less and less and especially to countries involved in this. The government has to take serious act increase security everywhere and deploy each military and police unit to keep the country safe, especially religious place such as churches.

Tribes

Tribes in Kenya are already involved with tourism but could become even more. Tourists usually have a very large interest in local tribes as they would like to know more about their culture. The main tribes are Kikuyu, Luhya, Luo, Kalenjin and many others. Tribes usually give guided tours of their land and show tourists how they hunt, cook, live a daily life and their celebrations. The negative aspect of the tribes getting involved is that tourists might influence their beliefs and way of thinking and therefore the tribe could disappear or become a modernised tribe.

Bibliography

"Environmental Degradation in Kenya as a Cause of Political Conflict, Social Stress, and Ethnic Tensions." Environmental Degradation in Kenya as a Cause of Political Conflict, Social Stress, and Ethnic Tensions. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Apr. 2015.